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FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL

March 4, 2006

Tiger Woods

DORAL, FLORIDA

JOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome Tiger Woods to the interview area. As the leader entering the final round. Tiger is the winner of this week's AstraZeneca Charity Challenge. $100,000 will be donated to the National Mental Health Association on behalf of the Ford Championship at Doral.

Tiger, I know it was a fun day for you, a lot of folks out there, just talk about your round and your position at this point.

TIGER WOODS: Well, thanks. I'm in good shape I guess. I didn't quite hit it all that well today, but somehow managed my way around the golf course and hit some key shots here and there to get the momentum going and really feel like I made some good swings coming home, excluding 18. I feel like I hit some good shots.

JOE CHEMYCZ: You went to the range to work on some things very quickly; what were you working on specifically?

TIGER WOODS: I just had to work on my levels on my swing. So just something very simple and I just wasn't doing that on the golf course today.

Q. How difficult was 18, not only to play, but to wait however long you did, and secondly, I'd be curious if you can describe what exactly you had?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, we waited awhile there. Got a little stiff. Last thing you want to do is kind of pull one a little bit. So again, I bailed out on it, hit it to the right.

I had got relief from the cart path, left heel was on the cart path, so I took relief there. Actually drew a decent lie, not a great lie but a decent lie. I had 195 to the hole and I hit a 6 iron up there just short on the fringe.

Q. Did you have to shape it at all?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I had to draw it a little bit. The wind was coming hard off the left and I had to start the ball on the fringe and draw it back up against the wind.

Q. How much is the wind a factor today?

TIGER WOODS: The wind was a huge factor. It was blowing. Any kind of loose shot that went with the wind was gone, it wasn't coming back. So you had to be very committed to what you were doing out there and then hit the proper shots.

Q. You've been in difficult situations, even though Camilo took a long time to decide what he wanted to do with his second shot and even his third, even though you're stiff and waiting a long time, do you understand what's going through with his thought process and what he wants to do and do you stay patient that way?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, you've just got to stay patient. I was joking with Stevie and Bones, maybe we could order pizza, see if they could be here in 30 minutes or less. We were out there for a while (laughter). Probably would have got it when we were on the fairway.

No, you just have to stay patient. It happens. Rulings happen. That's just the way it goes. You know, he wanted to make sure he had the number and I totally understand that. You know, we've all been there before. He did the right thing and hit a proper shot up there. Obviously it turned out really well.

Q. You were talking about the wind and the ball on I guess No. 9, getting lost in the wind, not struck that well, the wheels kind of came off for about a three hole stretch and, whack, they came back on; how did you right the ship there when you were going backwards and sideways?

TIGER WOODS: I knew what I was doing wrong. I just couldn't quite hit the proper shots. I hit, really, to be honest with you, I only hit one bad shot there in that middle stretch and that was on No. 9. The previous couple of holes, I piped it, hit good iron shots in there, just missed putts. And then 10, I hit it out a little bit to the right. But I really hit some good shots after that which was good.

The shot on 13 was nice, to be able to stand up there and hit a proper 6 iron and judge the wind properly.

Q. What was the club at 9?

TIGER WOODS: It was an 8 iron.

Q. And what did you do there, you seemed kind of shocked, you put your hands on your head.

TIGER WOODS: I fanned it right away. The club was behind me, so had no chance to get in front of it.

Q. Was that an example of the wind, you just let it out there and it's going to go?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I'm trying to hit a low draw and I hit it weak fade, opposite shot.

Q. Obviously you have to put that out of your mind and move on; are you happy with the way you rebounded after that?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I was happy, actually, with the next 8 iron. I hit that really nice. I was just hoping I could just make that putt and get out of there with only one shot lost. Obviously that didn't happen. But I felt like I really hit some good shots there after that, and that three hole stretch there, I really hit some good shots and made a couple of putts.

Q. This question is for Colombia. What is your opinion about Camilo Villegas?

TIGER WOODS: I don't really know Camilo. I've seen him out here this year. Obviously just a bunch of talent and playing great. He's got a bright future ahead of him. Just a matter of, obviously, working hard and continue to try and improve because he's got just a bunch of talent.

Q. Any disappointment in not reprising your showdown with Phil last year and then talk about the Daniel Chopra, do you know much about him?

TIGER WOODS: As far as Phil and myself, we're just trying to put ourselves in position. Everyone has this whole idea that we're trying to play against each other today. We were tied with two other guys going into the day and I believe there's like nine guys within three shots.

So if we battle each other out, guys are just going to lap us. That could easily happen. I was just trying to make sure I shot something in the 60s today and move keep moving forward. I didn't want to shoot anything near par because you just feel like you're going to get run over out there because the guys are making so many birdies. You look at the board when we started out the day, it seemed like everybody is 2 or 3 under par out there after the first six or seven holes. I had to continue making birdies and obviously I was able to do it late in the day.

You know, Daniel, I played with Daniel a couple of times. Great guy, speaks, actually, a few languages. Pretty impressive.

Q. You said a minute ago that you knew what you were doing wrong with your swing, you just had to correct it, what was that you just had to correct?

TIGER WOODS: I just had to get the club up, get the arm up, get the release point better.

Q. And you corrected it in time for that three birdie run?

TIGER WOODS: I did it on the tee shot on 13, which was nice.

Q. Got a little lucky on No. 3 when the ball didn't go in the water.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I hit a 5 iron in there, I had 175 and I hit a 5 iron, upshot into the wind. I was trying to keep it down and actually tried to play it past the hole a little bit. You know, I upshot it and actually, it's good I actually chose the 5 instead of the 6 because I took the water out of play by hitting 5.

Q. Daniel said he was happy that the spotlight and the fireworks were all on you and Phil today and he was in good position sneaking in, but now he'll be in the middle of it tomorrow. Do you ever get a sense when someone is new to that situation and they are not intimidated by their surroundings?

TIGER WOODS: Not really. I have enough problems out there to worry about (laughter).

Q. Given the way the back nine was unfolding for you and those around you, was the horror on 18, escaping on that, just as meaningful to what you did to get to that point?

TIGER WOODS: I think so because I put together a good back nine. The last thing you want to do was make a mistake on the last hole and give a shot back. Got a great break there to even have a shot, and then I hit a nice 6 iron up there and got up and down.

Q. Great break being on the cart path?

TIGER WOODS: Great break just having a swing. Could easily have been in the banyan trees and had no shot. Actually I only moved it probably about six inches so it wasn't really that big of a deal. I just drew a better lie. If I didn't, I probably would have hit 7 iron.

Q. Your record with a 54 hole or lead or share is well documented, it's incredible; can you just talk about what dynamics go in there and how proud you are of that record and how comfortable you are?

TIGER WOODS: Well, if you're leading, you're usually playing pretty good. So you've always got to think that way. Hey, I've always liked being in the lead because if you do make a mistake, you have that opportunity to rectify it and still win a golf tournament. Coming from four or five back, you make a mistake, you're not going to win the golf tournament.

Q. You're able to make par from so many difficult places, is there an attitude that's as important as the skill that you have?

TIGER WOODS: You just accept it and move on and play with what you have and try to just deal with it.

My entire life, I was never really a good driver of the golf ball, so that kind of helps.

Q. I was just curious, if you saw Phil give that guy the money for the watch, and secondly how much money do you keep in your bag?

TIGER WOODS: I've got an AMEX Black card, does that count? (Laughter).

No, I didn't see it. I was trying to figure out, you know, how much I needed to take on that 56 degree shot I had. I was trying to figure that out, I heard a bunch of commotion, but was just thinking, don't fly it to the hole. Obviously people were making a bunch of noise over there. I was really focused on that, because that's easily, could have put that ball in the water. Fly it to the hole and it's wet.

Q. How about the second part? How much do you have on you right now?

TIGER WOODS: I have nothing right now.

Q. In your bag?

TIGER WOODS: I don't know. Honestly, I don't know.

Q. Would you have had enough to buy pizza?

TIGER WOODS: I think so. (Laughter).

Q. If I could ask a golf question, with the wind blowing now, is 18 back to being what it used to be, one of the scariest holes on TOUR?

TIGER WOODS: That's a pretty tough hole, there's absolutely no doubt about that. For a righty, in off the left, it's always tough.

I think Phil's got, or any lefty, has got a little bit of an advantage there because they can slam it back into the wind. Whereas our miss as a righty is going to be sliding with that wind, way right. It's one of the toughest holes to get committed to, because if you take too much on, it's wet. So you've got to hit a proper shot and really be focused on hitting a good shot.

Q. Could we get the irons on 14 and 15?

TIGER WOODS: 14, I hit a pitching wedge, had 13 to the hole, straight downwind.

On 15, I hit 8 iron, 172 down off the left.

Q. If your preference for the wind to blow, blow, blow, tomorrow, is that better for you, than with less guys to have an opportunity to shoot 62?

TIGER WOODS: Without a doubt. I don't know if it's going to be from the same direction or not, but if it's blowing, you just know that if you go out there and play a good, solid round, there won't be a whole lot of guys who have a chance to win the tournament. You know, when there's no win, anybody who is five, six, seven back can still win the golf tournament.

Q. Just wondering if Stevie ever gave you a ride in the car that you won for him here last year.

TIGER WOODS: No, he just took delivery of it. It's up in his house in Oregon. He's been spending a lot of time in New Zealand racing, so he has not even seen it yet.

Q. If you come out on top tomorrow, who gets the car?

TIGER WOODS: Probably Stevie.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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